


By Your Side

by sushifish



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Adult Ahsoka Tano, Alternate Universe, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano Are Siblings, Anakin Skywalker Leaves the Jedi Order, Attempted Murder, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, BAMF CT-7567 | Rex, Bodyguard Romance, Businessman Anakin, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives is a Little Shit, CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, Dead Sheev Palpatine, F/M, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi Leaves the Jedi Order, Order 66 Didn't Happen (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective CT-7567 | Rex, Slow Burn, rexsoka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:56:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29609760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushifish/pseuds/sushifish
Summary: AU.The Clone Wars are over; Palpatine is dead. Anakin Skywalker - military hero, former-Jedi legend and doting husband - has transitioned into civilian life as one of the most successful businessmen in the starfighter tech industry, alongside his friend and business partner Obi-Wan Kenobi. After an attempt on his life leaves him desperate to protect the ones he loves most, Anakin calls on the one person he knows he can trust even more than himself: Captain Rex.The former 501st Captain just wants to do his duty to his friend and former General. But between his growing feelings for the fiery, outspoken Togruta and an unshakeable sense that something surrounding Anakin's attempted murder just doesn't add up, it's not long before he realizes the significance of what's before him. He just hopes he can figure out who - or what - is targeting Anakin and those closest to him before it's too late. And if he's lucky, rein in his wild heart in the process.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 38
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> A very special thanks to Ahmose007 for their beta reading and feedback, and for always encouraging my impromptu Rexsoka ideas <3

Anakin let out a frustrated, long-suffering sigh for what felt like the hundredth time that rotation. He sat slumped behind his expansive wooden desk, probably looking every bit as exhausted as he felt. In front of him, one very angry Togruta was pacing back and forth, a string of colorful profanities tumbling from her lips.

“Ahsoka, please,” Anakin pleaded. He didn’t even bother trying to keep the desperation out of his tone. “I’m only doing this because I care about you.”

“So you keep saying,” Ahsoka spat back at him. “I’m an adult, Anakin; I don’t need a babysitter _._ ”

“I know,” Anakin admitted. It wasn’t a lie; Ahsoka was, in fact, a woman grown. But she was still his little sister in every way that mattered and he would be damned if he ever let anything happen to her. “But for Kriff’s sake Ahsoka, there was an attempt _on my life._ ”

“Exactly! An attempt on _your_ life. If anyone here needs a bodyguard, it’s you.”

“And I’m doubling down on my own security for that very reason - and Padmé’s, obviously. Obi-Wan is doing the same for himself and Satine. But I _need_ you to agree to this, Ahsoka, I-“

He broke off and let his head drop into his hands, feeling defeated and at his wit’s end. He could hear Ahsoka pause in her ministrations and he let out a long, slow breath before raising his eyes to meet hers again.

“Snips, _please._ I’m literally begging you here. If anything ever happened to you I-“ his voice cracked ever so slightly at the thought and Anakin cleared his throat to cover it. “-I don’t know what I’d do.”

Ahsoka blinked at him for a long moment, her wide blue eyes locked onto his own. It felt like she was searching his face, though for what exactly, Anakin couldn’t say. He could feel her reach for him in the Force, feel her gentle presence probing his mind cautiously. He let her; he knew she would find whatever it was she needed.

“Okay,” she said at long last and Anakin let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. “I’ll do it. But I won’t be happy about it.”

Anakin’s face split into a wide grin as relief washed over him in waves. He practically leapt over his desk to get to Ahsoka, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around in his elation. She was going to be safe; his men would make sure of it. It felt as though a metric ton of weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Within the Force, Anakin sent her every bit of joy, relief and gratitude that he could possibly muster.

“You owe me, Skyguy,” Ahsoka mumbled into his chest. He laughed openly at that.

“Anything you want, Snips. Well, almost anything.”

_She was going to be safe._

She had to be.

* * *

Even as Anakin lifted her off the ground and spun her in a circle, Ahsoka could feel the frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. There was no part of her, not even the tiniest bit, that agreed with Anakin’s insistence that she have a bodyguard. Yes, of course she understood that there had been an attempt on his life. She even understood his logic of extending the possibility of a potential threat to her; it was, after all, no secret how close she and Anakin were. He’d made it abundantly clear to everyone - her, the press, anyone with a working set of ears within a fifty-kilometer radius - that she was his sister in all but blood. If someone was targeting Anakin and _truly_ wanted to hurt him, of course they would go after her or Padmé. She got it; she really did. But the hit had been sloppy, poorly planned and even more poorly executed. Anakin’s Force-sensitivity had alerted him to the danger almost instantly.

Ahsoka nearly scoffed at the memory. _Poison?_ Seriously? They may as well have let a feral saber-toothed loth cat loose in the penthouse and crossed their fingers that it found Anakin before Anakin found it. It would’ve been just as inconspicuous, in Ahsoka’s opinion. Regardless, the fact that the whole event was such an absolute farce made it difficult for her to take it as a serious threat. The Coruscant Guard had apprehended the waiter responsible for serving the poisoned drink almost immediately; he was currently in custody, awaiting trial. The man swore on his life that he hadn’t known what had come over him. For her part, Ahsoka assumed someone had just paid him off and he’d taken the coward’s way out.

She forced a placating smile onto her face as Anakin finally set her back on the ground. He resumed his place behind his desk and Ahsoka flopped backward across an armchair as he spoke animatedly about how he’d served with her squadron of soon-to-be bodyguards during the Clone Wars.

Ahsoka was only half-listening, already feeling her lips curving downward in a frown. Though she herself had been too young to be permitted to join the frontlines, she was no stranger to the fact that the Clone Wars had been, to put it mildly, an absolute mess. From the Senate making one poor decision after another, to the Jedi’s interference, to the fact that the kriffing _Chancellor_ had been behind the whole thing - well, let’s just say Ahsoka was fairly certain there wasn’t a soul in the galaxy who was lamenting the fact that the war had finally come to an end three years prior.

And at the top of that list was Anakin. Ahsoka knew his story hadn’t been a pleasant one, practically from the very beginning. Born into slavery on Tattooine, Obi-Wan’s former Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn had discovered his Force-sensitivity when Anakin was already nine years old. Late, for a Jedi. _Extremely_ late. The Jedi Council, unsurprisingly, had objected to Master Jinn taking Anakin as an apprentice but had eventually agreed to let him train with Obi-Wan after Qui-Gon’s untimely death at the hands of Darth Maul.

Things had progressed at nearly hyperspeed for Anakin after that. His command of the Force was second to none and he mastered his Jedi training quickly, gaining the title of Jedi Knight just as the Clone Wars began - and, notably, just days before his secret marriage to Padmé. Anakin had always been outspoken whenever he disagreed with the Jedi Council; it was one of the things that had drawn Ahsoka to him when she herself was seeking a Master. But his views could be polarizing and so he’d kept his relationship secret, knowing there would have been no way to win that battle against the Council.

Instead he showed them what a courageous, innovative leader he could be. He was promoted to General in record time and given command of the 501st division, which apparently was where Ahsoka’s team of future bodyguards had come from. Anakin was an outstanding military leader and he’d been instrumental in uncovering the truth about former-Chancellor Palpatine. His legacy was forever cemented as the Jedi who finally defeated the nefarious Darth Sidious.

Well, _former_ Jedi.

Once they’d realized how completely and utterly blind they’d been to the foul deeds occurring right under their noses, the Council had unanimously voted to disband the Jedi order indefinitely. Mace Windu and Master Yoda had gone on to rebuild what was left of the fractured mess of the Senate, an act Ahsoka suspected was driven in large part by the guilt they felt at having played directly into the former Chancellor’s hands for so many years. Most of the other Masters and Knights had gone their separate ways. Some returned to their home planets seeking families long since forgotten. Others sought to go somewhere entirely new, yearning for a fresh start. A handful even opted to take on Padawan learners (unofficially, of course).

As for Anakin, he’d returned to his first two loves: flying and fixing things.

His blatant notoriety combined with his undeniable skills and frighteningly cunning mind led Anakin’s company, Skywalker Corporation, to become what felt like an overnight success. Obi-Wan had joined in shortly thereafter, lending his much needed business acumen and charm that potential investors seemed to find irresistible. Now, Skywalker Corp. was a virtual powerhouse in the realm of starship manufacturing. Not only had they established assembly factories in four different systems within the past three years, but they were also trailblazers in the field of innovative starship technology. Anakin’s ships were sleek, cutting-edge and _highly_ desirable among the galaxy’s elite.

Somehow, he’d found time in his ascension to business mogul fame to train Ahsoka. Though there were no trials to face or Council to grant her the title any longer, Ahsoka was a Jedi Knight in all but name, thanks to Anakin. He’d been her friend, her mentor, her _family_ for the past three years and Ahsoka knew there weren’t enough words in Basic to be able to properly convey to him how thankful she was. It was why she’d ultimately given into his request that she accept a round-the-clock bodyguard. After all, it really was the least she could do.

But she still wasn’t happy about it.

“So then he started Torrent Company after the war. They’ve done private security for all sorts of clients - even some other former Jedi.”

Ahsoka blinked to clear her cluttered mind. How much had Anakin actually said to her while she was lost in her own thoughts?

“Sounds like he’s done pretty well for himself then,” she offered with a small smile, hoping she’d gathered enough from his context clues to have given an adequate response.

Anakin nodded emphatically. “He has. And I’m glad; if anyone deserves some peace and happiness after the war, it’s Rex. I just wish-“

He paused for a moment and Ahsoka’s montrals perked up with sudden interest.

“Wish what?”

Anakin gave his head a nearly imperceptible shake. “Eh, I just wish he’d settle down, you know?”

Ahsoka nodded, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Big playboy, then?”

Anakin nearly threw his head back in laughter. “Not even close! I don’t think I’ve seen Rex with a woman since… well, ever. That’s my whole point; I think he needs someone, Snips. Just to help him let loose, you know? Help him let go of all that bantha shit he carries on his shoulders.”

Ahsoka felt her head tip to the side just slightly in thought. She could understand that. War changed people - it certainly had for Anakin, at least. She could only imagine the sorts of things those men carried with them even now, years after the fact.

A faint buzzing at Anakin’s wrist interrupted her before she could respond. He glanced down at it for just a moment, tapped out a quick response and then flashed her a grin.

“They’re here. Ready to meet your men, Snips?”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Not really, no.”

On cue, there was a series of quick, sharp knocks against the heavy durasteel door to Anakin’s office. A wave of his hand sent the door sliding open with a soft _whoosh_ and Ahsoka watched as six armor-clad men filed in to stand in the middle of the room, each one stopping in perfect parade rest. Ahsoka rose to her feet awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

“General,” the man in front acknowledged Anakin, his voice the slightest bit fractured by his helmet’s vocoder.

“Rex!” Anakin cried as he came around to the front of his desk again. He waved a hand at the group dismissively. “At ease, gentlemen - come on! It’s just me.”

 _Uh, and me_ , Ahsoka had half a mind to remind him. She resisted. Instead, she watched as the men removed their helmets at Anakin’s insistence, revealing six virtually identical faces. Anakin tossed his arms around the one in front - Rex, apparently - and Ahsoka could see the slight upturn in the man’s mouth.

“It’s good to see you, Skywalker.”

“Good to see you too, Rex. And you guys!” He turned his attention toward the rest of the group, clapping them all on the shoulders and exchanging a series of greetings. “Stars, I’ve missed you guys. I can’t thank you enough for coming out here on such short notice. Sni- uh, Ahsoka and I really appreciate it. Don’t we?”

He shot her a look that clearly said _please don’t be rude to my friends_ and she forced a smile onto her face as she moved to stand beside him. The weight of six pairs of golden eyes all locking onto her at once made her want to shift uncomfortably. She forced herself to remain still, hands clasped behind her back as Anakin began to rattle off introductions.

“This-“ he gestured to the first man in the lineup, one with a goatee and an Aurebesh number five tattooed on his temple, “-is Fives. This is Echo-“ the one who seemed just a hair thinner than the rest, with a bright blue handprint on the chest plate of his armor. “Kix-“ the one with lightning bolts shaved into his close-cropped hair, through which Ahsoka could just make out a string of Aurebesh, though she couldn’t quite tell what it said. “Tup-“ the only one with longer hair, which was tied up in a bun. Ahsoka felt like he looked slightly younger than the others. “And Jesse-“ the one with the most notable tattoo - the Republic cog that covered most of his face.

The men all nodded at her in turn, a polite acknowledgement that she returned in kind.

“And this is Captain Rex.”

Ahsoka’s eyes landed on the man standing in front of the others, still holding perfect parade rest even after Anakin had told him to be at ease. He was just the slightest bit shorter than the rest, though the trait that distinguished him most obviously from the others was his short blonde hair. Ahsoka nodded at him.

“Sir,” he acknowledged, as though he was speaking to a commanding officer. Ahsoka started at that. No one in her entire life had ever called her _sir_ before.

“This is Ahsoka Tano,” Anakin went on, seeming not to notice any residual shock that permeated Ahsoka’s Force signature. “She’s the reason I asked you all here.”

“Actually,” she interrupted, cocking an eyebrow marking. “You almost being poisoned is the reason you asked them here.”

Anakin shot her a withering glare. From the lineup, she heard one of the men snort out a laugh. Anakin turned back to face them.

“As I was saying…”

Ahsoka let Anakin’s voice fade to a soft murmur between her ears as he recounted the events that had led up to his decision to reach out to Torrent Company. Ahsoka regarded them as they listened. They all seemed so similar, so karking near _identical_ that it unnerved her just a bit. She’d never really interacted with clones during the Wars - the Masters had kept the younglings, Padawans and Padawans-to-be so sheltered inside the Temple that she’d never really gotten the opportunity. She’d met a few before, of course. After the war, one of the first decisions the recovering Senate had made was to grant each and every clone full rights as New Republic citizens - not to mention a healthy string of post-military benefits, which they all rightfully deserved. She’d just never been around so many together all at once.

She worried her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before making a decision.

Slowly, careful not to draw Anakin’s attention her way, Ahsoka reached out through the Force. She could feel it enveloping her, stretching and swelling to fill every corner of the room while simultaneously taking up no space at all. In her mind, clearly as she could see the men standing in front of her, a series of Force signatures pulsed rhythmically. With her hands still locked firmly behind her back, she reached out and touched each one.

Jesse’s aura was as blue as the markings on his armor, strong and stable. Ahsoka could feel him listening to Anakin with his undivided attention, loyalty practically rolling off of him in waves. Tup’s was a warm, pale yellow. He radiated the sort of youthful optimism Ahsoka hadn’t felt from someone in quite a long time. Kix glowed soothingly green, his aura open and inviting. Ahsoka wondered if he’d been a medic, though she hadn’t paid close enough attention to remember if Anakin had said. Echo’s was an even-keeled orange, firm and balanced without feeling harsh or strict. Fives’ burned bright red, passionate and fiery. Ahsoka could practically _see_ the mischief churning under there and it made the corner of her mouth quirk upward. And Rex-

Ahsoka’s eyes widened and she had to steel herself to keep from reeling backward as though she’d been struck. She pressed harder, more insistent in the Force. She felt nothing.

She could sense him there, in a way. Of course he _had_ a Force signature, a presence in the Force, but it was nothing more than a blur over his person. Ahsoka hadn’t felt someone so completely closed off in what felt like forever. His mental walls had to have been a meter thick, airtight and solid as one of Anakin’s star fighters. Whatever was going on inside Rex’s head, he intended it to be for his knowledge and his alone.

Suddenly his eyes flicked to hers and Ahsoka started, hastily diverting her gaze. She could feel the faintest hint of _something_ , as though the dams holding in the torrential rush of his thoughts had wavered for the briefest of moments, allowing the tiniest whisper to slip through.

 _Hm,_ Ahsoka thought to herself. _This could be interesting._

Rex’s eyes left hers as quickly as they’d arrived.

“Sounds good, General,” he replied, addressing Anakin again. “Fives, Echo and I will escort Miss Tano back to her suite and take over the first shift. We’ll work twelve-hour shifts; Tup, Jesse and Kix can relieve us at 0900.”

 _Miss Tano?_ Ahsoka’s nose wrinkled at the formality. That was going to need to change _real_ quick.

“Sounds good, Rex,” Anakin agreed with a nod. “And thanks again for coming on such short notice. You guys are the only ones I trust to take care of her the way I would.”

He turned to regard her again and fixed her with a look that was almost pleading. Ahsoka could feel him tugging at their bond in the Force, sending what she imagined was every ounce of sincerity he could possibly muster. When he spoke again, his voice was soft.

“Snips, I trust these guys with my life. But more importantly, I trust them with yours. Please, _please_ listen to them if they ask something of you.”

A lump rose in Ahsoka’s throat at the borderline desperation in Anakin’s tone. She sent him a wave of reassurance through their Force bond, arranged her face into what she hoped was a convincing smile and said, “Sure thing, Skyguy.”

A grateful expression crossed his face before devolving into a grimace when Rex smirked at him.

“Skyguy, huh? That’s cute, General.”

Anakin mumbled something in response but Ahsoka barely heard it. She’d found herself once again daring to look up at the Captain, her wide blue eyes held frozen in his golden-hued ones. Something warm and soft reached for her in the Force, seeming to brush over her skin like fingertips dancing down her spine. She suppressed a shudder, unable to put a name to the strange feeling. It was different, new, decidedly _other_ but that was all she could say with any certainty.

In an instant Rex’s features snapped back into an impervious mask, perfectly stoic. His helmet made its way back onto his head as he turned and led the men out of the room, Ahsoka in tow. She departed with a final wave to Anakin and found herself grinning at the armored backs of the men in front of her.

This was going to be interesting, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ahmose007 for their feedback and for never failing to notice the tiny details I love the most <3

“Absolutely not!”

It had been all of six minutes and Ahsoka’s patience was already wearing dangerously thin. She knew she’d made a promise to Anakin that she would listen when Torrent Company asked her to do something but she didn’t expect the unreasonable requests to start right out of the gate.

“Sir, we need to do a sweep of the interior before we can let you go inside. It’s for your own safety.”

“This is ridiculous,” she insisted in a huff. “I was literally gone for - what, an hour? If that? You seriously think someone would’ve broken in while I was with Anakin _one_ floor up?”

She had a very distinct feeling that behind the walls of his helmet, Captain Rex was rolling his eyes at her.

“I think it doesn’t matter if you were only gone for five minutes; if someone is targeting you then they’ll take any opening they’re given, no matter how small.”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. She was well aware that she probably looked very much like a petulant child but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She locked eyes with the viewports on the front of the Captain’s helmet and held him in her gaze for a moment that stretched entirely too long. When she realized he wasn’t going to bend on this, she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

“I’m not here to keep you happy,” he shot back at her. “I’m here to keep you alive.”

Ahsoka’s mouth fell open in surprise at his words. Her brow markings knit together tightly and she moved to snap back at him but he’d already turned to punch in the access code to her door. He and Echo made their way into her apartment to check for _absolutely nothing_ , leaving her standing in the hallway with the one called Fives, as if she were nothing more than a child standing in waiting for her parents to finish a task. She blew out a long sigh and let her back fall against the cool durasteel wall before turning her attention to the man standing in perfect parade rest next to her apartment door.

“Is he always like that?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

The corners of her mouth tipped downward in a frown. “So, does he need one of you guys to help him pull the stick out of his ass every night before bed or is he able to manage it all on his own?”

From inside the helmet, she could have sworn she heard a quiet snort of laughter.

“Pretty sure it’s a permanent installation, Sir.”

She laughed out loud at that, thankful that at least one of these men seemed to have a sense of humor.

“How do you guys put up with it?”

Fives shifted just a bit. “The Captain is a good man, Sir. A bit rough around the edges, sure - not exactly the guy you want to be your wingman at 79’s, if you know what I mean - but hands down the best man I’ve ever known.”

Ahsoka felt her features soften and she straightened just a tad. It wasn’t that she _wanted_ to give the Captain a hard time. Deep down - very, very deep down - she understood that he was just trying to do the job Anakin had tasked him with. But that didn’t mean she was eager for all the ways her life was apparently going to have to change now. Was she going to need an escort every time she wanted to take a walk? If she wanted to go over to Barriss’, were they going to subject her friend to a litany of questions and a full sweep of her apartment, too? Stars, was she even going to be able to make a cup of caf in the mornings without one of them testing her sweetener for poison?

“Interior is clear.”

The Captain’s voice broke her from her thoughts as he and Echo stepped out of the doorway.

“Wow, who would’ve ever guessed?” Ahsoka muttered under her breath.

The Captain fixed her with a look - or at least, what she imagined was a look behind that emotionless blue and white shield. She paid him no mind, brushing past him to enter her apartment without bothering to wait for further instruction. There was an irritated sigh behind her and she couldn’t help but smirk as the front door slid closed at her back. At least she still had some measure of privacy inside her own apar-

A small, high-pitched shriek left her as she turned the corner to head into the kitchen and caught sight of him standing at attention in her foyer as if it was the most ordinary thing in the entire galaxy. She groaned audibly.

“What are you doing?”

Had he not been wearing the helmet, Ahsoka had a feeling he would have been blinking at her dumbly. He gestured to the space around him with his open hands.

“Guarding you, Sir?”

Ahsoka was certain her eyes were going to get stuck upward permanently if she kept rolling them at this rate.

“What are you doing _in the apartment_?”

“Again - guarding you, Sir.”

His patronizing tone was almost enough to make her scream. “You _just_ said the interior was clear. Are you expecting someone to come in through the air ducts? Maybe scale all thirteen floors of this building just for fun?”

The casual shrug of his shoulders was a torch dropped into the puddle of starship fuel that had pooled in her belly.

“Maybe. I’d prefer to err on the side of caution where your life is concerned.”

Ahsoka could feel the flames of her irritation licking at her skin. “And you don’t find this the least bit intrusive?”

“Not at all.”

She bit her tongue so hard to keep from screaming in frustration that she very nearly drew blood.

“Besides, there are a few things we need to discuss.”

Ahsoka dropped down onto her sofa and crossed her arms over her chest.She half-expected the Captain to take a seat of his own and then realized she really shouldn’t have been at all surprised when he didn’t.

“Such as?”

“Your access code, for one.”

“Okay, what about it?”

“Who has it?”

Ahsoka thought for a moment. “Anakin and Padmé, my friend Barriss, Obi-Wan, my other friends Seela and Trace… um, maybe a couple others too. And you, apparently.”

He finally moved from his position by the door, only to grab her data pad off the table and drop it into her lap.

“Change it. Nothing easy to guess and don’t give it to _anyone_ besides Anakin.”

She snatched up the data pad and grumbled as she reset the code, “Not even to you?”

“We have a master code.”

Ahsoka huffed out a humorless laugh. “Of course you do. Why am I even surprised?”

The Captain ignored her. Once she turned her data pad around to show him the screen brandishing the “access code successfully changed” message, he continued.

“We also need to discuss the matter of video surveillance-“

“Video surveillance!?” She sat bolt upright and glowered at him. “You’re already going to be following me around everywhere I go, standing outside my front door all the time, lingering in the shadows of my apartment like some kind of fucked up shadow - Now you’re telling me you want to put cameras in here too?”

“That’s correct, Sir.”

Ahsoka swore to the Maker, if he didn’t drop that matter-of-fact tone then she was going to reach up and snatch that cursed bucket right off his head.

“I give up,” she declared as she stood and crossed over to her bedroom, throwing her hands up in the universal sign of defeat. “You want to put cameras in my apartment? Go ahead. Tracking software on my data pad? Go for it! Why don’t you climb in the shower with me in the morning too, just to be sure I don’t accidentally get soap in my eye?”

If the Captain had planned to dignify her with a response, Ahsoka would never know. She slammed her hand down on the button that controlled her bedroom door and stepped inside, grateful when it slid mercifully shut behind her. She flung herself down across her bed face-first and groaned her frustrations into her blankets, silently cursing Anakin’s overprotectiveness, the idiotic waiter who’d had the bright idea to try to poison him and, above all else, the absolutely infuriating man on the other side of the door.

* * *

Rex’s mouth was set in a hard line as he watched Ahsoka stomp into her bedroom. Once the durasteel door was firmly closed, he let out a long sigh. Was it really so hard for her to just follow orders? He was only doing what was best for her, after all - what Skywalker had requested. If his former General had enough faith in Rex’s judgment to trust him with Ahsoka’s life, then why couldn’t she do the same?

Had he been given the privilege of a normal upbringing, Rex figured he may have been a little more empathetic to her plight. To him, her complaints of intrusiveness were entirely unwarranted. He’d never had the luxury of privacy or personal space, so her inability to see how obviously the pros outweighed the cons was lost on him.

Her suite encompassed half of the thirteenth floor of the building (with the other half belonging to General Kenobi, on the occasions in which he visited) and was situated directly below Skywalker’s, which comprised the entirety of the fourteenth floor. It was certainly a far cry from Kamino where he’d shared a room with no less than a dozen of his brothers. He’d thought the private Captain’s quarters he’d been afforded in the bunkhouse during his GAR tenure had been lush, given that it came with his own private ‘fresher. Compared to the apartment he was now standing in, it was nothing more than a shoebox.

Truth be told, Rex had never really understood the appeal of luxury. Why pay more for something that looked fancy when you could pay less for something that would get the job done just as well? Even now, after the Senate had ensured every clone would be receiving a healthy pension for the remainder of their presumably short lives, Rex still lived well below his means. He and his brothers shared a mid-sized apartment that they rented from Reggie, the bartender at 79’s. Maybe it was force of habit or perhaps the desire to cling to what was familiar - Rex didn’t know and he didn’t particularly care. All that mattered was that the rent was cheap, the location was convenient and he didn’t have to haul Fives’ drunken shebs up and down the levels of Coruscant after he’d had one too many.

Although, Rex really couldn’t fault Skywalker for his tastes. He knew enough about his former General to understand that he hadn’t exactly been born into a life of excess. There was no part of him that faulted Anakin for spending his money now that he had it. Skywalker had worked hard to get to where he was at in life and Rex was nothing but proud of his friend. Besides, he knew his former General’s pockets were always open when it came to a worthy cause; he was just as well-known for his philanthropy as he was for his starships.

A red warning flashed across his viewport and tore Rex from his musings. He didn’t even have to look to know what it was. He crossed wordlessly to the bedroom door, watching as it slid open at his command. There was a large window set in the far wall and in the very top right corner, nearly imperceptible unless you knew exactly what to look for, was a tiny sensor currently blinking red. When he peered through the open glass he could see her on top of the adjacent building, covering the distance of the rooftop before disappearing over the opposite side.

Rex let out a long-suffering sigh and headed back out into the hallway where Fives and Echo stood on either side of the front door. They both turned to face him.

“Already?” Echo asked, surprised.

Rex nodded. “Hopped to the building next door and scaled down the exterior roof access ladder, heading southwest - to Offee’s, I’m assuming; she’s the only one of her acquaintances who lives in that direction.” He turned to Fives. “You should be able to head her off if you cut through that alley we marked six blocks up.”

Fives nodded. “On it, Captain.” He turned and headed toward the elevator but paused as the doors opened and turned back to Echo. “Comm Kix and tell him he won this one; pretty sure he bet she wouldn’t make it half an hour.”

 _“Fives,”_ Rex hissed warningly.

“Going, I’m going!”

He rolled his eyes behind his viewport and heard Echo’s soft chuckle as he turned and made his way back into the apartment. It came as absolutely no surprise to him that she’d taken the first available opportunity to try and slip past his watchful eye. Not only had Skywalker warned him that she would, but Rex had her sized up within moments of meeting her. She was much like the General in certain ways - outspoken, unafraid, strong-willed. They were qualities he likely would have admired under different circumstances but as it was, all they did now were serve to make his job and his life significantly more difficult than they needed to be.

It was why he’d slapped sensor discs in the corners of every single window in her apartment as soon as he was sure it was unoccupied by intruders. Rex was certain the Togruta woman had a litany of tricks up her sleeve that she would use to try and sneak past him. He wondered how long it would take her to realize that he had more. For every scheme she concocted, every inkling of a plan she could possibly have, Rex would have a counter. Consistency was key, he knew, and sooner or later she would get tired of being thwarted at every turn and give up entirely. For his own sanity, he really, really hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

As if on cue, Fives’ voice floated through his comm device. “Asset secured, Captain.”

In the background, Rex could hear a high-pitched shriek of, _“Asset!?_ I swear on the Force, Fives-“

“Copy,” Rex cut across, fighting hard to keep the smirk from coloring his voice.

He unclipped his data pad from his belt and typed out a quick message to Jesse, letting him know which surveillance devices - that is to say, _all of them_ \- he needed to bring with him at shift change so they could properly outfit the dwelling. With that finished, he set about familiarizing himself with the layout of the apartment.

The floorpan was open, which was to his benefit. He had a clear view of the kitchen, dining area and hallway from the living room. The only other direct access into or out of the apartment was situated just off the living area and led out onto a wide balcony. Tall windows allowed for a breathtaking view of the Coruscant skyline and bathed him in the warm glow of waning daylight. A handful of other rooms - mostly for sleeping, with ‘freshers attached - were situated down the long hallway and Rex was intrigued to find that they were mostly empty. The only areas of the apartment that seemed to actually receive frequent use were the kitchen, the master bedroom and the living room.

In fact, now that he thought about it, it seemed as though those were the only areas that Ahsoka really used at all. She may as well have had an apartment half this size, given the fact that virtually her entire life was contained to those few areas. Rex was surprised to find that even then, she hadn’t decorated lavishly. The walls of the living room were lined with bookshelves, row after row of books situated on their shelves. There were trinkets here and there, framed photos and holos of people Rex had familiarized himself with when he’d accepted the assignment. It felt warm and inviting, cozy and homey in a way Rex had never really experienced before. He wondered why she chose not to utilize the rest of her space but ultimately decided that if she preferred to sequester herself to a small portion of her apartment, it at least served to make his job that much easier.

He spun on his heel at the sound of the front door sliding open. The scene before him would have been comical under different circumstances. Had it been an anatomical possibility, Rex was positive steam would have poured from Ahsoka’s ears. She stomped through the doorway with Fives trailing behind, looking very much like a lost tooka. Behind the anonymity of his helmet, Rex couldn’t hold back a grin.

“Welcome back, Miss Tano.”

She paused long enough to fix him with a withering glare that very clearly told him she wished he’d drop dead where he stood. If looks could kill, he was certain he would have done just that. She crossed wordlessly to her bedroom door and slammed the access button with a closed fist before disappearing inside. Rex turned back to Fives.

“How much trouble did she give you?”

“Well, she tried to bite me,” Fives admitted with an air of nonchalance. “Which would’ve really done it for me under different circumstances-“

 _“Fives,”_ Rex admonished for the second time that day. He didn’t need to see Fives’ face to know it was plastered with one of those face-splitting grins of his.

“At ease, Captain. I know the rules; no fraternizing with the clients. Besides, you think I want to have _that_ conversation with the General? No thanks.”

“I’ll take that to mean the reacquisition went off without significant incident.”

“Yeah, sure,” Fives waved his hand dismissively. “That’s what I said.”

Rex could feel the very distinct tension blooming behind his eyes that he’d come to associate directly with the former-ARC trooper standing in front of him. He dismissed Fives back to his post in the hallway and let out a long, exhausted sigh once he was finally alone.

Between the rebellious ball of fire behind the bedroom door and the man outside who he called _vod_ , Rex was certain this mission was going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all so very much for reading! There's quite a bit of set up required for this story so I definitely appreciate you bearing through until we get to the fun stuff!


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